As the NBC crime thriller headed into its hiatus, it didn't go easy on viewers. Quite the opposite, in fact. The show left fans feeling pretty battered after it killed off a major character.

Read on only if you're prepared for spoilers from Season 5, Episode 8, "Ian Garvey: #13."

Disaster struck halfway through the fall finale. After Garvey (Jonny Coyne) and his men got a hold of Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold), they managed to stab the long-time fan favorite as well as beat Liz (Megan Boone) when she showed up. It looked like the two might make it given that Red (James Spader) and Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq) came to their rescue. However, it was not to be. Tom was so badly wounded that doctors couldn't save him when he reached the hospital. And before you start thinking it'll be another faked death, "Blacklist" creator Jon Bokenkamp tells TVLine that he's really dead.

Suffice it to say, the development didn't sit well with fans, especially since they've been watching Tom on the show since it premiered, aside from his stint on "The Blacklist: Redemption." Their Twitter reactions show just how hard they've taken his death.